Fall Junior Jam Fest: Tournament Recap

The Fall Junior Jam Fest took place this past weekend inside Hoop Group Headquarters in Neptune, New Jersey. Welcoming teams in 11U, 12U, 13U and 14U brackets, the Fall Junior Jam Fest was the last Jam Fest of the calendar year. You could not find better young talent than the teams that were here this past weekend. Here’s a break down of every age division.

11U
Our youngest age group of the weekend had some of the closest games of the weekend, especially if you were Zip City, who won their first two games in pool play by a combined four points. They had two exciting wins verse the Jersey Force and Unlimited Glory that got them to the championship. In the end though, the bracket belonged to USA National Select. Led by some of the top fifth grade talent in the area, USA National Select won the 11U age division in convincing fashion. Congratulations to our champions!

12U
The 12U division featured talented teams from all North America, including We Will Win and Canada Elite, two talented programs who came from Canada. Canada Elite had a successful weekend, making it to the championship game. Joining them in the Final Four were Team Philly, Unlimited Glory and Havoc City. The two semifinal games could not have been more opposite. On one side of the bracket, Unlimited Glory showed why they were the top team with a win over Havoc City. Meanwhile, Canada Elite needed every last second, and a late second offensive put back to sling shot them into the Finals. The championship was all Glory however, as they topped Canada Elite and took home the trophy. Congratulations to Unlimited Glory!

13U
In the 13U division, we saw four strong pools with some skilled teams atop each pool. Every team that came out of their pool, did so in convincing fashion this weekend. The result was a semifinal that featured four skilled and well coached teams. The first game was between the NJ Shoreshots (Finch) and PSA Cardinals. Both teams came out of their pools with 3-0 records and had great individual player performances. When they met head to head however, PSA proved to be a more seasoned team, knocking the Shoreshots out after a great run. They awaited the winner of Slam City and Team Philly. Slam City was a team that impressed all weekend and that trend would continue as they would go on to defeat Team Philly in the semis. They were then able to withstand the PSA Cardinal’s best shot in the final and win 38-33 in a high intensity game. Congratulations to Slam City!

14U
Our oldest division in the Fall Junior Jam Fest featured teams that brought a lot of talent, athleticism and excitement to the table this weekend. 16 teams, one champion emerged as Philly Triple Threat took down Slam City in the Final. NJ Shoreshots (Kessler) and the Brooklyn Rens also made it to the semifinals. All four of our semifinalists seemed to have one thing in common: size. Much of their success this weekend came from winning the battle on the glass, owning the paint and scoring a lot down low. There were certainly a number of players here this weekend who have promising high school careers ahead of them. Congratulations to Philly Triple Threat on being the 14U Champions.

One of the perks the Junior Jam Fests provide is the ability to watch some talented players and programs at a young age. As a spectator, you get to watch these teams play and see how high the ceiling is for a lot of these players who have yet to even play a high school game. Be sure to look for the All-Tournament Team, which will be released Thursday. A lot of players on there have the potential to be studs in the future.